IU Student Foundation History
In 1950, Howdy Wilcox, who had been the IU Foundation's executive director for about a year, realized that very few people at IU knew anything about the Foundation! In those days, "the IU Foundation simply had no identity on campus, neither with the students nor the faculty", Wilcox said. "I wrote a letter to President Wells recommending that we form a Student Foundation Committee and charge that committee with spreading the word."
And so the IU Student Foundation (IUSF) was born.
More than a half-century later, the IUSF still considers "spreading the word" about the IU Foundation as one of its main goals, along with sponsoring campus events that foster enthusiasm and leadership, raising money for working students, and forging a bond between students and the University, resulting in a strong alumni body. IUSF is now the student arm of the Indiana University Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to raise funds for the University and its students.
Planning and preparation of the Little 500 bike races are a large portion of the IU Student Foundation'activities, but many other annual, campus-wide events are also supported by IUSF. IUSF's agenda includes everything from performing arts events to student recruitment. With the help of advisors and campus officials, IUSF provides Indiana University with a diverse array of activities that serve both students and faculty.
60th Running of the Little 500